This is the BEST beer for Beer Can Chicken!- FIND OUT MORE..

I have been planning to make beer can chicken for a while and when I finally did last week, it made me wonder which is the best beer brand I should use as I sip on the extra can of beer.

Should I really be using a specific brand or flavor of beer for my recipe or is it okay to use any beer?

There are a lot of brands of beer that can be used when cooking beer can chicken but aside from the fact that it is really fun to do, I figured I needed to learn what beer really does.

Is there something that comes out of the beer that is more unique than when I use water to make sure the chicken stays juicy and tender while it is being smoked or cooked on the grill?

I initially thought that there should be a specific flavor or kind of beer that I should use in order to achieve the finish that I want and in a way, it does, since it is more about personal preferences.

My beer can chicken recipe uses one of the most common brands of beer and you can definitely use it to make the best beer can chicken that you want in your own backyard.

So if you want to know which beer will give you the best results for your beer can chicken, read on as I reveal more surprising facts about what beer does and which is best for your recipe.

The Beer Flavor, Does It Matter?

Technically, there is no reason for you to use beer if the sole purpose is to add flavor. There are scientific proofs that beer does not really add flavor to the chicken when you cook it.

The reason behind this is that beer boils at a low temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a little short as to what the required internal temperature for chicken should be.

Since the cavity of the cold chicken wraps around the can of beer, there is little to no chance that the beer will boil or evaporate to add flavor to the chicken while it is being cooked.

Even if you go beyond 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the minimum internal temperature for a chicken to be safe to eat, the can of beer will hardly produce steam to flavor the chicken.

However, what beer does is produce an aroma that you would love on your chicken, surely. The beer can also use the fizzles to tenderize the chicken from the inside to produce juicy and tender finishes.

The can of beer also somehow provides a liquid component to your cooking process so its main goal is to produce just enough moisture so that the chicken does not dry out too quickly.

The Best Beers For Beer Can Chicken

1. Guinness And Other Stouts

Guinness is easily the most popular beer brand when it comes to stouts. The challenge here is to overcome the notion that stouts are too bitter for cooking chicken or other recipes.

There is a lot of variety of stouts and brands that produce slightly different flavors so you cannot really argue that you cannot use stouts for beer can chicken because of the bitterness.

Another brand of stout that would go really well with beer can chicken is Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout. This stout has a rich aroma with hints of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and some sweetness to it.

Stout is not and should not be closeted to just the common bitter brands as there are others that sell sweet stouts and oatmeal stouts instead of just the dry stout that we commonly know.

2. Berliner Weisse

Berliner Weisse is also another popular brand of beer that can be really interesting if you choose to use it with your beer can chicken.

If you look at the recipes that are made when using chicken, you would notice that there are a lot of recipes that use something to make the flavors tangier.

Such ingredients are lemon and fresh basil or mint leaves. So these sour ingredients can be a basis of the flavor of beer that you might want to use for your beer can chicken.

Sour beer like the lambic beer from Belgium is something that you should also try. The malty flavor they bring will give the chicken a more interesting flavor which can be your preference.

3. Newcastle Brown Ale

All you need is a can that will fit in your chicken butt and a bottle of the Newcastle Brown Ale to get your chicken that amazing and rich malty flavor that will make your chicken pop in terms of flavor.

Brown and mild ales are great for beer can chicken or malty beers to give that earthy flavor to your bird. The complexity of the flavor from the aging process will really give the chicken a great flavor.

When I first hear of malty beers, I immediately think of IPA beers and Barley Wines but these types of beers might not be the most popular choice as they have too much bitterness sometimes.

4. Marzen Beer or Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Marzen

German beers often have really malty beers that are really rich in flavor so it is only right that I put at least one from them on this list. There are a lot of German beers that would work with chicken.

Some examples are bock, double bock, alt, and Oktoberfest beers. These types of beers will be able to put really interesting and delicious flavors to the chicken with the malty and aged beer flavors.

If I were to choose, however, which German beer I would use, I’d go with the Marzen beer which is a Rauchbier or smoked beer.

This might be a little strange and in fact, it is really hard to find but it will be worth it. The malt and grains used for making the beer are smoked and it really adds the flavor that we all love in BBQs.

This results in an earthy flavor as well as other flavors that are deep and wide but will not overpower the chicken.

5. Pyramid Apricot Ale, Pete’s Strawberry Blonde, Lindemans Framboise, and Hefeweizen

All of these beer brands have a distinct flavor. All of their beers have either wheat or fruit flavor that can be really great for chicken as they do not overpower the flavor of the bird.

You can also use these beers for other recipes as the fruity flavors are great for mixing with meat ingredients that are grilled. These beers go great with marinades and wet rubs.

Just imagine an apple cider that will add a little bit of tanginess and sweetness to your chicken. That is how these beers will give your chicken the best flavor when you smoke the bird.

6. Cave Creek Chilli Beer

If you are up for a unique beer can chicken and if you love some spice to your food, then Cave Creek has got you covered. Their chili beer would make the perfect beer can chicken.

The slightly malty yet spicy beer will surely give the chicken a unique flavor that you would not be able to find in most beer brands even the best ones included in this list.

Figuring out which beer you should use for your beer can chicken is more about your personal preference and not the brand or flavor of the beer alone.

You might need to buy assorted flavors and brands of beers but trying them out will be worth it for you to find which one you really like for your beer can chicken!

Should the beer be cold for beer can chicken?

It is preferable to use room temperature beer can rather than cold beer for beer can chicken. It is important to use half a can beer for beer can chicken.

There are people who might use cold beer for beer can chicken, even though it is not going to have a distinct negative effect on the cooking and it still ‘works’, I would always recommend using room temperature beer.

Check out the video below where they try beer, soda and wine and see which one’s the best to cook beer can chicken!

Can I use an IPA for beer can chicken?

Yes, you can, since you are not going to get any major distinct flavors from the beer, you can go ahead and use IPA or craft beer for cooking beer can chicken.

If you want a clear experiment then this one from Bon Apetite is the perfect article where they used different beers to make beer can chicken and it had no effect on the taste of the chicken.

Do you have to use beer for beer can chicken?

No. Not really. You just need the beer can and you can fill half of it with any liquid as the beer never gets evaporated nor is it going to add any flavor to the chicken.

A beer can only helps to cook the chicken better so that it is juicier and tastes a lot better.

What kind of beer is best for beer can chicken?

You can use any of the beer that we have mentioned in the list above. Although, I would say it again that it doesnt matter what beer you use, since the falvours are not going to get added to the chicken.

You can use the beer that you drink and place half can filled beer in between the legs of the chicken so that it sits upright inside the grill.

You can definitely experiment and see for yourself and find a beer that you think works the best but if you are not that into such experiments then you dont have to go out of the way and buy any special beer brand for making juicy beer can chicken.

What to serve?

Beer can chicken is usually served with salads or some macroni, basically if you need some protien on the side then Beer can chicken is at your service.

These are the five best side dishes that you can serve with Beer Can Chicken.

1. Salads

Yes. Some fresh, juicy salad is going to compliment the chicken and you are going to enjoy the different taste that both of them bring to the plate.

Juicy chicken is something that goes really well with Salads and you can easily mix chicken in salads to get that amazing taste and flavour.

2. Mac and cheese

This is my personal favourtie. We all know Mac n Cheese is like the comfort food but when you add some juiyc bits of chicken it makes everything so flavourful.

You can swap it for Vodka Pasta and you would still enjoy the flavours of the beer can chicken.

3. Roasted Vegetables

This can easily transform into one of those quick meals where you add some roasted veggies to your pieces of beer can chicken and have an all rounded meal.

It might not be for everyone and hence I have the next option which in my opinion is way better than just adding roasted vegetables along with chicken.

4. Mashed Potatoes

If you aren’t all for ‘roasted vegetables on my plate’ then adding some mashed potatoes ia good idea.This way you get more options than just roasted veggies with beer can chicken.

Add vegetables, mashed potatoes and some beer can chicken and you have an amazing meal, right there!

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